1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a metal-air battery including an air supply module and a method of operating the metal-air battery.
2. Description of the Related Art
Metal-air batteries include a plurality of metal-air cells. Each of the metal-air cells includes a negative electrode that may absorb and discharge ions and a positive electrode in which oxygen in ambient air is used as an active material. A reduction and oxidation reaction of oxygen introduced from outside of the metal-air battery occur in the positive electrode, and an oxidation and reduction reaction of a metal occur in the negative electrode. Chemical energy generated by these processes is converted into electrical energy and is extracted. For example, the metal-air batteries absorb oxygen during discharge and discharge oxygen during charge. In this way, the metal-air batteries use oxygen that is present in the air thus an energy density of a battery can be greater than other secondary batteries. For example, the metal-air batteries may have a high energy density that is several times equal to or greater than an energy density of a lithium ion battery.
In addition, the metal-air batteries operate by absorption and discharging of oxygen without the use of heavy metals and thus have a relatively low potential for environmental contamination. Due to these advantages, much research into metal-air batteries has been conducted.